Author: staff
Published on 16/04/2026 – 13:51 GMT+2 Spanish energy company Repsol confirmed that it is regaining operational control of its oil assets in Venezuela after reaching an agreement with the country’s government and state oil company PDVSA. The deal is expected to include a mechanism to secure payments through oil shipments and could enable Repsol to significantly expand output, including plans to triple production within three years. “This agreement underscores Repsol’s commitment to Venezuela, where we have operated without interruption since 1993,” said Repsol’s Executive Managing Director of Exploration and Production, Francisco Gea, after the signing of the contract. “We have…
British trip-hop icons Massive Attack and the legendary US singer-songwriter Tom Waits have teamed up to release a powerful, politically-charged new song, titled ‘Boots On The Ground’. The haunting track is the first new material from both Massive Attack and Tom Waits in years. It takes aim at “recent ICE raids on migrant communities & the killing of civilians that protect them”, with all proceeds from the song going to the American Civil Liberties Union and the US Immigrant Defense Project. ‘Boots On The Ground’ features additional vocals from Waits’ son Casey, and begins with the heavy breathing. Massive Attack…
He added: “If that changes … I will speak about it, and I will make an announcement about it.” Government analysis of a prolonged closure of the the Strait of Hormuz leaked to the Times warns the availability of chicken, pork and other supermarket goods could be affected if the Iran conflict impacts supplies of the gas, which is critical to the food and drink industry. It increases the shelf life of salad, packaged meats and baked goods, and is also used to slaughter nearly all pigs and two thirds of chickens. The worst-case scenario in “Exercise Turnstone” assumed the strait had not…
Published on 16/04/2026 – 13:01 GMT+2•Updated 13:02 The world’s largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), reported a fourth consecutive quarter of record profits on Thursday, as demand for artificial intelligence chips drove a sharp rise in revenue and net income. “AI-related demand continues to be extremely robust,” said chairman and chief executive Dr C.C. Wei during a post-earnings conference call. First-quarter net profit rose 58.3% from a year earlier to NT$572.48bn (€15.38bn, $18.11bn), equivalent to earnings of $3.49 per share, beating analysts’ expectations. A survey of seven analysts by Zacks Investment Research had forecast earnings of $3.31 per…
By Sertac Aktan & AP Published on 16/04/2026 – 12:41 GMT+2 FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Wednesday that Iran will participate in the World Cup “for sure” despite the ongoing war in the Middle East. Speaking at CNBC’s Invest in America Forum, Infantino said it is important that Iran participates in the World Cup even though its participation has been in doubt since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on the country on 28 February. “The Iranian team is coming for sure, yes,” Infantino said. “We hope that by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation.” “As I said, that…
The incident comes after four ambulances belonging to the Jewish emergency volunteer medical service Hatzola were set on fire in north west London in March. Two men and a 17-year-old boy were charged with arson earlier this month. Detective Chief Superintendent of the Met Luke Williams said: “I hope the swift action by officers today to identify and arrest two people provides some reassurance and demonstrates how seriously we take attacks of this nature. “However, we understand the significant concern the Jewish community will feel at another incident so soon after the arson attack on four ambulances in Golders Green.…
Berlin wants to show its best side this summer and is calling on tourists to do their bit. That, at least, is the basic idea behind the “BerlinPay” scheme. Anyone who takes part, for example by collecting rubbish or supporting social projects, receives benefits in return at museums, participating restaurants or Berlin experiences. Sustainable behaviour by travellers is meant to be visibly rewarded. The concept itself is not new; the original idea comes from Copenhagen. BerlinPay: picking up litter for Berlin’s summer The city of Berlin is still looking for suitable partners, because the rewards need to be worth the…
Ukraine has shot down 90 percent of the killer drones and almost 80 percent of the cruise missiles that Russia has launched against the country in the past six months, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Berlin on Wednesday. He added that between last November and March of this year, the Kremlin launched 462 ballistic missiles, nearly 600 cruise missiles and 27,000 Shahed-type drones against Ukraine. But Kyiv still has a shortage of anti-ballistic capabilities, relying on Western supplies. There is an extreme shortage of PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptor missiles, a scarcity…
Published on 16/04/2026 – 11:39 GMT+2 Hungary’s outgoing foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, will skip next week’s foreign affairs meeting in Luxembourg following the defeat of Viktor Orbán’s government, EU diplomats told Euronews. His office did not respond to a request for comment. Yesterday, diplomats confirmed that outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will skip next week’s informal European Summit in Cyprus. Szijjártó was at the centre of controversy during the campaign over his close ties to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Leaked phone calls suggested he had offered to help remove Russian businessmen from the EU sanctions list and had contacted…
Hungary’s premier-elect Péter Magyar said he would relocate the prime minister’s office in Budapest once he is sworn in. “Under the Tisza government, the Prime Minister’s Office will not be based in the Carmelite Palace in the Castle District, which Viktor Orbán had set up for himself, but in one of the ministry buildings near parliament,” Magyar wrote on X on Thursday. The baroque Carmelite Monastery in Buda, on the western side of the Danube, historically served as a Catholic monastery and later as a theater before being converted into Prime Minister Orbán’s office in 2019 at a cost reported…